In Brazil, the winning samba school at this year's Rio Carnival is accused of accepting millions of dollars from the leader of Equatorial Guinea, who's widely criticized as one of Africa's worst dictators. But do Brazilians actually care? Probably not.

The cases of Michael Brown and Eric Garner in the US have their own analogues in Brazil, where relations between black citizens and police are also tense. But one Brazilian activist hopes the news from the US could push Brazilians to talk more openly about racial issues.

Despite over half of Brazilians claiming African descent, black Brazilians face widespread racism — which often manifests itself in violence. For the women of Miss Black Power Brazil, resistance against racism comes from a natural place — their hair.

When Brazilian environmental activist Marina Silva unexpectedly became a presidential candidate after the death of her running mate, she soared in the polls. But after becoming a real threat to incumbent Dilma Rousseff, Silva faces growing skepticism from voters.

Brazil is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be an activist, according to a report by Global Witness. In the past ten years, hundreds of environmental activists who have spoken out against pollution and overuse of Brazil's natural resources have been attacked or killed.

At the World Cup in Brazil, the pitches have been taking a beating. Imagine how your back yard would look after all that foot traffic and slide tackling. But Brazil has a secret — hardy, perennial ryegrass seed from Manitoba, Canada.